What neighbourhood do you live in? Are you just passing by? Maybe in your forever home? Do you hate it?
Speaking specifically about the City of Liverpool & Merseyside Region the best value for money property is in Bootle Town (Sefton Council). I have happy friends and family that live there and I often see the positive side. Tight knitted community, friendly people, social togetherness, home. Of course there is a darker side, you do see some in social crisis, desperation & despair.
Is that not the case everywhere? It certainly is in the vast majority of my region. Closed down pubs and shops are noticeable in Bootle Town. Could perhaps do with investment from their already tightly squeezed local authority.
Couldn’t every area do with a bit more cash?
Your council tax band is based on the market valuation of your non commercial property (home). With property prices in Bootle amongst some of the lowest in Britain, is there any wonder why Sefton Council is so strapped for cash. Yes you do have options of more luxury in Southport/Formby/Crosby. Could an alternative to boosting cash for Bootle Town not be simply building more luxury properties in the immediate area. Who would want to live in a luxury property in an area where the market valuation is low? No idea, however I presume a lot of property in Bootle has been snapped up by investors/landlords for a quick reaccumulation of invested cash through rental income. There is a lot of wasteland and derelict buildings. Surely the land would be snapped up by any investor at the right price!
More people in the area in higher council tax bands benefits the whole community. More money for the council, more money for the citizens.
Will those renting property in the area be booted out if Bootle Town was restored? Maybe, can’t the local authority do a deal to include a percentage of quality social housing to be built alongside the suggested more prestige, higher council tax band development? There is a substantial amount of waste land, along with run down high streets that could be restructured with the cooperation of the town. Would anyone cooperate? No idea, are any of us adequately consulted on improvements to our immediate area. It is for our supposed benefit, mass consultations in Town Halls, should be a given. I don’t think I’ve ever been invited to MY TOWN HALL. Have you?
If the cash is rightly reinvested by authorities in the local area all of a sudden 10, 20 years pass by and the high street is restored. Bars, restaurants, vibrance. Property boom! Social housing, top tier high street, upmarket property. Perfect community?
What about crime in the area? Valid point. There is crime in every borough of Merseyside though. Isn’t there?
According to: http://www.regionsecurityguarding.co.uk (statistics for 10 ‘Liverpool No Go Areas’), Sefton Hub One and Sefton Hub Two rank 6th and 9th place for violent crime figures (February 2021). Maybe due to Southport/Formby/Crosby which are widely regarded as ‘nicer places to live’. Fair point, but the cash doesn’t belong to their immediate areas alone, just because their properties pay the most in. That is not how council tax works. Those with the least should not be deprived of the same infrastructure & investment as another area in the same district just because they pay less in to the pot. This isn’t socialism, it is the current system if it used how it is intended. Sefton Hub One is inclusive of Bootle, Crosby, whilst Hub Two is inclusive of Formby/Southport. The violent crime figures are not far away. Full reference to site mentioned is listed below this piece.
Do you know where/when your local authority are investing your cash!
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